Flagler Beach commissioners express general support for county beach-management funding plan, ask for detail on fees and oversight

The Flagler Beach City Commission on March 6 signaled general support for Flagler County’s proposed beach-management plan, which would fund shoreline renourishment with a half-cent county sales tax and a proposed $1.60 annual per-parcel fee, but commissioners pressed county staff for more detail on costs, timing and protections for low-income residents.

Commissioner Cooley said he was broadly supportive of the county’s approach, adding, “I am all in.” That view was echoed by other commissioners, including Mayor Mary King, who said, “I’m bought in on this,” while noting remaining questions about logistics such as walkovers and maintenance.

The workshop, convened as a discussion-focused meeting rather than a formal vote, brought Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito to the dais to take questions. Petito described how the county developed estimates and funding options, said the county recently qualified for additional grant funding and emphasized that the plan is not final: “I’m enjoying the conversation, actually, and I’m really glad to hear the comments and the feedback,” Petito told the commission.

Why it matters: Commissioners and public commenters framed the coastline as Flagler County’s primary economic asset and said a coordinated, countywide funding approach could avoid piecemeal…